29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001
Issue No.562
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001 Issue No.562 |
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No way Jose
Questionable decisions by Ahli coach Manuel Jose gave Zamalek three points and a share of the league soccer lead. Alaa Shahine reports on frustration and jubilation
Zamalek are poised to take over top place in the league championship standings when they take on Qanah on Sunday following their much- deserved 2-1 victory over Ahli.
photo: Mohamed Wassim
Zamalek supporters gather on streets -- and atop cars -- of Cairo to celebrate a famous victory. Below, Ghali, right, was responsible for Zamalek's first goal, a penalty kick taken by Imam, left
photo: Mo'taz Abdel-Haq
After nine games, the defending champions are in second place with 23 points, trailing title contenders Ismaili only on goal difference. The Dervishes' encounter with Ahli has been postponed to New Year's eve, giving Zamalek the opportunity to sneak to the top.
Unlike the typical bifurcated tradition with Ahli and Zamalek on top while other teams are content playing subordinate roles, clubs like Arab Contractors and Ghazl El-Mehalla are making names for themselves by ranking third and fourth respectively in this Click-GSM season, with 13 points each. Both are ahead of Ahli who are in an embarrassing seventh place, but have two matches in hand. The first is to be played against Mansoura tomorrow in Cairo.
Ghazl El-Mehalla hope to tighten their grip on fourth place when they host Ittihad tomorrow. Tersana meet struggling Misri, Sohag host Ghazl El-Suez and Goldi face Baladia, while Mansoura's match with the Contractors was postponed until 10 December.
Despite their outstanding performance against Ahli, Zamalek's German coach Otto Pfister warned his players about over-confidence against Qanah. "It has been our problem since the beginning of the season," Pfister said. "We have no trouble playing big teams like Ahli and Ismaili but we are too self-confident against lesser sides." Zamalek let a two-goal lead slip by to newly-promoted side Sohag before finishing 3-3.
It was a pleasant week for the German coach who took charge of the Egyptian powerhouse two seasons ago and guided them to the league crown last season after a seven-year drought. In that period, he has notched three victories in the trot over Ahli, while two other encounters ended in draws. He suggested that Ahli and Ismaili might have to put aside their plans for this year's league trophy and attributed Friday's victory to high morale and the experience of his players. "We had the upper hand because we were more determined to win. We even squandered several chances to widen the gap," he said.
"We are right on track to defend our title and I have full confidence in my players' ability to make their presence felt."
The architect of the victory was the team's inspired skipper Hazem Imam who opened the scoring in the 20th minute through a spot kick, then doubled the lead shortly after the break when his cross from the right side took an unintentional twist and banged off the post before going in, a misplayed shot akin to one scored the week before by another Zamalek player, Tarek El-Sayed, against Ittihad.
Ahli's consolation goal was scored by Alaa Ibrahim when Besheir El-Tabie let a pass on the ground intended for Ibrahim slip under his foot just a few minutes before the final whistle.
The defeat, Ahli's second this season after falling to Ghazl El-Suez 2-0 in the seasonal debut, deflated the Cairo squad which just a week before had reached the African Champions League final. Ahli boss Manual Jose of Portugal suspended Ali Maher, Hussein Amin and Hisham Hanafi for missing a practice before the match, a punishment that was found exceedingly harsh by fans and critics.
The former Benfica and Sporting Lisbon manager vented his frustration and showed his displeasure after the game. "I have been working as a coach for 25 years and I have never seen anything like this. The players are doing exactly what I want in practice but forget everything the moment they step onto the pitch," he told reporters. He added his patience was running thin "but I hope they can restore their pride in the African final" against Sundowns of South Africa in early December.
Jose was not a sore loser, paying tribute to Zamalek. "They deserved the victory and we were very bad. I was hoping to take advantage of the high morale after we beat Esperance in the African semis, but nothing went our way."
Nothing, it seems, including Jose's tactics, which were highly questionable. Wael Ryad started the match in spite of a groin injury and Shadi Mohamed played right back, the first time he has done so.
Throughout the first half, Ahli's attacking presence was hardly felt as Ryad and Sunday Ibeji were virtually invisible while Alaa Ibrahim was left up front on his own. The midfield's engine room, built around Hadi Khashaba and Hossam Ghali, sputtered out of gas well before the first half ended. Ghali, in particular, failed to provide sufficient support for Mohamed down the right flank and it was Ghali who tripped up Mohamed Abul-Ela from behind inside the box in a crude tackle that Scottish referee Kenneth Clarke had no hesitation whistling down.
Zamalek began more sure-footed, three shots at goal in the first 20 minutes. Any one of them could have been a goal except for the positioning of Essam El-Hadari
Zamalek's daring duo of Abul-Ela and Tarek El-Sayed tormented Ahli's defence from the left side with their teasing crosses and penetrations, while Imam found little difficulty in outmanoeuvring the confused Red defence almost every time he touched the ball. It was only when Jose, out of desperation, brought on two substitutes, Sayed Abdel-Hafeez and Cherno Mansari, in the 40th minute that Ahli began forging into Zamalek's half. Still, Ahli's passing in the second half was as errant as Imam's second goal and indeed, his mercy bullet sealed the victory as the Whites appeared in cruise-control, notwithstanding Ahli's last-minute goal.
The result was felt as far as Alexandria the next day. After his side's scoreless road tie against Ittihad, Ismaili's boss Mohsen blamed Zamalek's triumph. "My players were under pressure after knowing the result because they faced a must- win situation to protect our two-point lead," he said.
The table says Ittihad are no match for Ismaili but the Alex squad were clearly the dominant side in territory and chances created. They wasted one opportunity to go ahead midway through the first half when Yasser El-Shanawani sent a penalty kick wide. Despite the draw, Ismaili maintained their clean sheet after 720 minutes of playing time, meaning that 19-year-old keeper Mohamed Sobhi is approaching the record of 11 straight games without allowing a goal, set in 1975 by Ahli's Ikrami.
The Contractors demolished Sohag 5-1 in Cairo, with Nigerian Robert Akawri on target three times. Ghazl El-Mehalla routed Ghazl El-Suez 4- 2 away from home, Tersana registered another away victory, 2-1 against Baladia, Qanah drew 2- 2 with Goldi and Misri played to a disappointing 0-0 tie at home against Mansoura.
The latter result was the final straw for coach Mahmoud Abu Regeila who resigned after being roundly booed by spectators, angered at seeing the pride of Port Said mired at the bottom of the standings with only eight points. Abu Regeila will be replaced by former Ahli star Abdel-Aziz Abdel-Shafi.
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